Honeycomb structure

Abstract

A honeycomb structure includes a pillar-shaped honeycomb structure body including porous partition walls defining and forming a plurality of cells which extend from an inflow end face to an outflow end face, and a porous outer wall surrounding the partition walls, a porous supporting bulge disposed to extend out from a circumference of the outer wall so that at least a part of the outer wall is exposed, and plugging portions arranged in open ends of the cells, and the supporting bulge has support portions and a side wall portion, and the partition walls and the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body and the support portions and the side wall portion of the supporting bulge are all formed monolithically by formation of a ceramic raw material.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]The present invention relates to a honeycomb structure, and more particularly, it relates to a honeycomb structure which is easily manufactured to be excellent in thermal shock resistance, and is prevented from being shifted in a can member when the honeycomb structure is received in the can member which receives the honeycomb structure.BACKGROUND ART[0002]Honeycomb structures have broadly been used in filters, catalyst carriers and the like, and have especially broadly been used as exhaust gas purifying and exhaust gas treating catalyst carriers, filters and the like in internal combustion engines such as a gasoline engine and a diesel engine, and burning devices.[0003]Especially, the honeycomb structure for use as the exhaust gas purifying catalyst carrier or filter or the like in a gasoline engine car, a diesel engine car or the like is required to have an improved purification performance to cope with exhaust gas regulations which are yearly strengthened in ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019]According to a honeycomb structure of the present invention, it is possible to effectively inhibit shift of the honeycomb structure in a can member when receiving the honeycomb structure in the can member to use the honeycomb structure as a filter, a catalyst carrier or the like. Furthermore, in the honeycomb structure of the present invention, a honeycomb structure body and a supporting bulge are monolithically formed, circumferential coating materials are not used in an outer wall, and hence the honeycomb structure is excellent in thermal shock resistance. Furthermore, the honeycomb structure of the present invention is excellent in thermal shock resistance as described above, and hence it is possible to achieve a high porosity of partition walls. In circumstances where a catalyst is loaded into the partition walls, pressure loss is low, and a heat capacity of the honeycomb structure is small, whereby it is possible to shorten time required for catalyst activation.

[0020]More specifically, the honeycomb structure of the present invention includes a porous supporting bulge disposed to extend out from a circumference of the outer wall so that a part of the outer wall is exposed. Furthermore, the supporting bulge has a plurality of support portions protruding from the circumference of the outer wall toward the outside of the outer wall, and at least one side wall portion supported by the support portions. Further in the honeycomb structure of the present invention, the partition walls and the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body and the support portions and the side wall portion of the supporting bulge are all formed monolithically by formation of a ceramic raw material. That is, in the honeycomb structure of the present invention, the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body is not made of the circumferential coating material, but is formed monolithically with the other constituent elements (e.g., the partition walls, the support portions and the side wall portion). Therefore, the thermal shock resistance of the honeycomb structure is remarkably high. Here, the honeycomb structure of the present invention includes the porous supporting bulge disposed to extend out from the circumference of the outer wall, whereby when the honeycomb structure is received in the can member, movement of the honeycomb structure body in a cell extending direction can be inhibited by the supporting bulge. Consequently, according to the honeycomb structure of the present invention, it is not necessary to apply a high holding pressure to the honeycomb structure. Therefore, even when a thickness of the partition walls of the honeycomb structure is decreased or a porosity of a substrate is increased to decrease an isostatic strength of the honeycomb structure, it is possible to inhibit the honeycomb structure from being damaged by the holding pressure.

Problems solved by technology

However, when the thickness of the partition walls of the honeycomb structure is decreased or the porosity of the substrate is increased, it becomes difficult to acquire an isostatic strength of the honeycomb structure.

When the isostatic strength of the honeycomb structure is low, the honeycomb structure might be damaged by a holding pressure applied to a circumference of the honeycomb structure at the time of receiving the honeycomb structure in the can member.

When the holding pressure is decreased to avoid the damages on the honeycomb structure, there is the problem that the honeycomb structure shifts from a predetermined received position in circumstances where an exhaust gas pressure or vibration is applied to the honeycomb structure.

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